Lzh Sarv Bi Pm Sk 104In Water

The Udakeuccāra Sutra (Discharging in Water)

Background

Udakeuccāra (Pāli: uda = water; uccāra = discharge, excrement) is a passage belonging to the Vinaya Piṭaka, specifically within the regulations concerning the proper conduct of monks and nuns. This sutra was recorded in the context of the Buddha promulgating rules of practice to protect the purity of body, speech, and mind among those who have gone forth, while also maintaining the discipline of the Sangha.

Regulations concerning actions in water, whether bathing, washing, or discharging waste, are discussed in order to avoid harming living beings in the water and to protect the purity of monastic minds. This is an expression of the Buddha’s teaching on Pañcasīla, the Five Precepts, and its extension into Ahiṃsā, non-harming, one of the foundational principles of early Buddhism.

Main Content

The Udakeuccāra Sutra prescribes that monastics, when they need to discharge waste or urinate, should avoid doing so directly into water. Instead, they must use appropriate methods, such as going to a designated place or using suitable sanitary means. The main purposes are:

First, to protect living beings in the water, such as fish, snails, shrimp, and other creatures. According to the Buddhadharma, all sentient beings are capable of experiencing suffering; therefore, directly harming them violates the precept of non-killing. The Dhammapada teaches: “All beings fear the rod; all love life. Comparing oneself with others: one should not kill or cause others to suffer.”

Second, to protect the cleanliness of the shared water source used by the community. This is a delicate matter related to Sangha discipline and a respectful attitude toward the common dwelling place.

Third, and most profoundly, to train the monastic mind to feel moral shame (hiri) and fear of the consequences of wrong action (ottappa). These two mental qualities are called the “guardians of the world” in the Dhammapada.